Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday proposed a ban on social media use for children below the age of 16 as part of the state’s Budget for 2026–27, presenting the measure in the Assembly at Vidhana Soudha.
The proposal forms part of a broader strategy aimed at addressing the growing impact of excessive smartphone use among young students and promoting healthier academic and social environments. Announcing the measure during his Budget speech, Siddaramaiah said the restriction is intended to protect children from the harmful effects associated with increased mobile phone and social media usage.
“To prevent the adverse effects of increasing mobile phone usage on children, the use of social media will be banned for children below 16 years of age,” the Chief Minister said.
Alongside the proposed restriction, the state government unveiled several initiatives aimed at strengthening the education sector and supporting student well-being. Siddaramaiah announced that trained mental health counsellors would be posted at all 204 Block Resource Centres across the state to provide guidance and psychological support to students.
The government also plans to intensify efforts to curb drug use in educational institutions through awareness programmes, stricter enforcement measures and the establishment of student support centres.
To improve access to quality education, the government will upgrade 184 government higher primary schools into high schools and convert 50 high schools into Pre-University colleges. In addition, a major push will be given to the public school system by upgrading around 800 institutions into Karnataka Public Schools over the next three years at an estimated cost of Rs 3,900 crore.
Of these institutions, 500 will receive funding from the Asian Development Bank, 200 from the Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board and 100 from the Karnataka Mining Environment Restoration Corporation.
The state has also allocated funds to strengthen basic infrastructure in schools. Around Rs 565 crore will be spent on constructing new classrooms and repairing existing ones, while Rs 75 crore has been earmarked for building toilets and Rs 25 crore for classroom furniture. Additionally, Rs 125 crore will be transferred directly to School and College Development Committees for maintenance work.
The government also plans to introduce bilingual teaching in government primary schools by training teachers in English, for which Rs 24 crore has been allocated.
